Japan earthquakes

M6.0 earthquake 69 km S of Honchō, Japan

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 69 km S of Honchō, Japan on Wed, May 22, 1968, 7:51 PM JST (10:51 UTC), 50 km (31 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.6 141 km ENE of Kuji, Japan. This one was a foreshock.

Shizunai-furukawachō forecastMore in Japan

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
6.0 (mw), moderate
Local time
UTC
1968-05-22 10:51:56 UTC
Depth
50.0 km (31.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter
41.502° N, 142.988° E
Region
Japan
Strongest shaking
IV, light shaking
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated
IV, light shaking
Peak ground acceleration
3.5% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
0.9 cm/s
Map
Automatic
USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter
Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty
±0.20
Depth from
From location

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 12 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 6.6141 km ENE of Kuji, Japan · 21305 days ago · 27 km deep · 73 km away
  2. 5.6146 km ENE of Kuji, Japan · 21304 days ago · 28 km deep · 92 km away
  3. 5.574 km S of Honchō, Japan · 21298 days ago · 23 km deep · 14 km away
  4. 5.887 km SSW of Honchō, Japan · 21292 days ago · 47 km deep · 31 km away
  5. 6.3121 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21281 days ago · 41 km deep · 53 km away
  6. 5.811 km SSW of Honchō, Japan · 21272 days ago · 48 km deep · 61 km away

Before

  1. 5.573 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21308 days ago · 27 km deep · 14 km away
  2. 5.6124 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21308 days ago · 28 km deep · 68 km away
  3. 6.1137 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21310 days ago · 37 km deep · 70 km away
  4. 5.768 km S of Honchō, Japan · 21312 days ago · 45 km deep · 1 km away
  5. 6.179 km SSW of Honchō, Japan · 21313 days ago · 33 km deep · 28 km away
  6. 6.1111 km S of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan · 21313 days ago · 43 km deep · 35 km away
  7. 7.970 km S of Honchō, Japan · 21313 days ago · 31 km deep · 11 km away
  8. 6.173 km SSW of Honchō, Japan · 21313 days ago · 30 km deep · 23 km away
  9. 6.1114 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21313 days ago · 42 km deep · 46 km away
  10. 6.0165 km SE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan · 21314 days ago · 25 km deep · 61 km away
  11. 8.21968 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake · 21314 days ago · 27 km deep · 75 km away
  12. 5.7106 km ENE of Hachinohe, Japan · 21328 days ago · 20 km deep · 74 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem822518. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 3:36 PM UTC.